Naive
by DarkAngelPearl
Summary: Yes, I was utterly in love and happy and I wish my beloved would just ask my hand in marriage already, as I also wish for my cousin to find someone to call his own... One-shot


**Naive**

I was utterly and gleefully happy. Not only had I return from that dreadful school, but I returned to my best friend and love of my life. Oh, how I wish he can ask me to marry him, we've been courting since I was fourteen and have been friends since I was ten. As I set by the pond in the garden, having some time for myself until I meet up with my love, my thoughts slowly went to the past. If I hadn't lost my parents or even had a living relative through marriage I would have never came here to Misselthwaite Manor and met my cousin for the first time or the love of my life.

Thinking about my cousin I have seen him scolding whenever my love is near and wonder why he was so unhappy with my courting him. He almost looked like my uncle–his father–when I first came here, mourning over the loss of his wife after ten years of her death. Perhaps it was time for my dear cousin to find love. He was always spending his time working alongside his father or hanging around me and my love in the garden. A girl to set him in his place is what my cousin truly needs.

He is very clinging to me, ever since he was a child. I still remember when he was so stubborn to leave his bedroom or how dramatic he became when I left him to go to the garden with my love while he enjoyed the sunshine through his now open windows.

_"Medlock's gone!"_

_"It's working...its working, any minute now." the ten year old girl says as she rushes over to the windows just as the boards that had once covered the windows fell to the ground, quickly opening the windows. "Hold, Dickon! Hold! It's working!" she yells down to the twelve year old boy on the back of a white horse._

_He looks back at her, yelling, "Come down, Mary. We need a hand!"_

_"It's beautiful, Colin!" she tells the ten year old boy in the wheelchair, pushing him towards the light and the fresh breeze coming through the open windows. "Do you feel it? Do you?" she questions him, running to open more windows. "I'm coming!" she tells the other boy, waving at him._

_She quickly jumps down and runs, not seeing that the other boy was trying to block out the sun, as well as the breeze coming in. However, he does notice how quiet it became and wonders what else she was doing._

_"Mary? Mary? What about the spores? Can you see them?" he looks away from the light and see if she was behind him, moving his wheel chair around but notice he was alone and being to panic. "Mary?" he quickly looks back at the windows and tries to peer out. "Mary?" she sees him waving at him from the back of a horse. "Mary!" he falls with a wail, not able to believe that she had left him alone, and gives into his tantrum. "No! No! No! No!"_

_Hearing the cries, she asks the older boy to stop and put her down, running back towards the manor. The other boy looks after her, wondering why she would risk going back and being discovered that she knew about him this whole time. The girl is quickly stopped by the other boy's sister, Martha, who was a servant in the manor._

_"Miss Mary, please! Don't go in there now." she pleaded in near panic, turning slowly as the girl started to walk backwards. "He's having a dreadful fit. Lord knows what he'll do."_

_"I don't care! He's so spoiled! He's got to be stopped!" she tells her, quickly walking into the bedroom, saying over her shoulder. "Somebody's got to make him stop."_

_She enters the bedroom and stands on the small davenport bench, glaring down at the tantrum boy on his large bed. Oh, how the girl remembered just how spoiled she was, and could only give thanks to all those that took care of her while her parents were alive for their patients. At least, now, she appreciates their efforts in taking care of her when her parents didn't._

_"Stop it you! Stop! I hate you! Everybody hates you!" the boy stops crying and turns to look at her. "You're so selfish! You're the most selfish boy, there ever was!"_

_"Not as selfish as you are! Just because I'm always ill–" he started, only to get interrupted._

_The girl frowns angrily, "Nobody ill could scream like that!"_

_"I'm going to die!" the boy argued, though it was weak._

_"What do you know about dying?"_

_"My mother died!"_

_"__**Both**__ of my parents died!"_

_"I've got a lump on my back! I'll get a lump like my father's!" he screams, starting to cry into his bed once more._

_She quickly goes on the bed, pulls the boy's night gown and robe up and over his head and begins to inspect his back. The boy starts to quiet down, wondering exactly what she was doing. She starts to see that there was nothing there._

_"There's nothing but your bones sticking out. It's because you're so skinny!" she told him her inspection_

I remember that Medlock came in and tried to get me away from my cousin. I remember her punishing poor Martha with a slap. My cousin defended her, as well as me. It was also the day I told him about being inside the secret garden; somehow we seemed to have gotten even closer since that day.

Now, six years later, I remember my days as a child and after, stroking the water gently. Knowing that my beloved was to be at the garden entrance to pick me up, I stand and quickly walk through the familiar path I always seem to take. Even the flowers the three of us planted seemed to have moved to the sides to make that path for me. Oh, how much the garden has grown and blossomed–almost like the three of us did.

Exited to see my love, I hurriedly walk out of the–_now_–open garden and turned to the right. That exit led to the fields and away from the manor, not that I minded being along with my love. I giggle as I remember this is where I went after I thought my uncle didn't want anything to do with me when he saw my cousin walking for the first time in years. Her cousin always seemed to have someone spying on us whenever my love and I were together. Oh, how much I was despising it to the point of hating my cousin in putting someone on us.

Seeing my beloved standing next to his white steed I ran over to him, not caring if it wasn't lady like. My love never minded my ways. He quickly pulled me against him for a quick kiss before pulling me on top of the horse. He quickly mounted in front of me and took off at a slow trot, one of his hands holding my own around his waist. Yes, I was utterly in love and happy and I wish my beloved would just ask my hand in marriage already, as I also wish for my cousin to find someone to call his own.

Looking back at the entrance of the garden, I smile softly. So much we all have been through, even after my uncle accepting me into his life and home. Now, for a couple of years it has been very quiet.

Oh, I can barely wait for the next adventure that awaits all of us.


End file.
